Special Deliveries - Day 20

I am embraced my inner cow girl today with my outfit (just missing the hat!). This was partially chosen so that I could do a dance routine for one of my TikToks:

@lakessinglemum My first dance routine. ##imsolonely ##mumsoftiktok ##over40 ##isolation ##fyp ##dance ##mumdance
♬ duet me pls im lonely - xoxosamko

A walk to Kendal Castle #REDJanuary

The thing about this RED January lark is that it's addictive! Today is a non running day as yesterday I did a gentle 2 km with my daughter as she started her Couch to 5 km journey:

So I had planned on just doing my Davina workouts and my 30 day runners' workout which were enough to count. However seeing less than 2,000 steps on my Garmin didn't feel enough! So I dragged my son off his Xbox and we headed out for a walk. First of all through the cemetery in the gloom:

Then up the path to the castle:

#CountryKids Sledging in Kendal

Kendal was right on the edge of the Beast from the East part 2 and we just about got some snow on Saturday night:

On Sunday morning the fell race he should have been running in was cancelled as there was too much snow and very strong winds in the hills. So he decided he wanted to go sledging instead. As his had died during the last snow:

Oops this is now an ex sledge!

A post shared by Becky Willoughby (@lakessinglemum) on Mar 1, 2018 at 10:37am PST

I had to rummage in the shed for the unused inflatable sledge we had been sent as a back up to a review 6 years ago:

Reasons to be Cheerful: Proud mum, parkrun, hair cut and snow #R2BC

A new month means a new host so its back to Michelle! Please pop over to her blog and say hello. I am writing this as the snow is gently falling as Kendal seems to have (so far) avoided the full impact of the Beast from the East or Storm Emma. Here are my reasons to be cheerful for this week:
1) Proud Mum
My son went to the last Sportshall competition in Blackpool with gramps this Sunday. He finally achieved his first place in the chest push by equalling his PB of 6.75 m! He had to return his club under 11 trophy this week and if he got his maths right then he may have won it again thanks to that 1st place (we have to wait to see!):

2) Sunny parkrun

It was just beautiful down at Fell Foot on Saturday. Although it was so cold my legs were still not warm after 5 km! I took a head cam video of the route which hopefully shows you how beautiful it is:

After running I took this shot from the end of the jetty:

3) Hair cut

I hadn't had my hair cut since September (shock horror!) so I finally got round to booking myself in to get tidied up. I was advised that I might have an iron deficiency which is making my hair thinner so I am trying to take my vitamins to give me a boost:

Fell Running Challenge #2 Kendal Castle

My son was very pleased to have had over 100 views of the two versions of his first fell running film in a week! So we headed down the road to Kendal Castle to film our second one. It was bitterly cold but no snow except in the distance as he ran up, around and down at the castle:

Reasons to be Cheerful: Half Term #R2BC

I really can't believe its half way through half term and my last week as host for another month! It means that the lovely Michelle will be hosting again next week. Meanwhile here are my reasons to be cheerful this week:
1) Beautiful Autumn Days
On the days when the sun shines it really is glorious at the moment with all the Autumn colours. I had time to appreciate Fletcher Park when I came home the long, slow way from town:

2) Birthday Goodies

I have finally been successful in spending the last of my birthday money on a much better running watch. It has a longer battery life and tracks my steps as well as connecting to my phone! I just need to sort my foot out to be able to get running properly again:

3) Appreciating Nature

This lovely swan was cleaning itself on the shores of Windermere when we paused at Waterhead yesterday:

#CountryKids Yet another Pokemon Go walk around Kendal

Yesterday turned out to be a lot better weather than during Storm Brian so we decided it was a perfect chance to get out and hunt for the new generation 3 Pokemon! We are less than a mile from the castle so set off in that direction to add both distance and Pokestops: 

This little pathway is known as dodging death on Strava as it runs between two parts of the graveyard. I have to say I wouldn't fancy it after dark on my own:

The path comes out at the foot of the hill on which the castle is built. Its not the easiest route up to the castle but its rather beautiful through the trees:

Reasons to be Cheerful: Spring has sprung? #R2BC

I am having major laptop problems and can't currently access my photos properly - eek! Despite that I have many reasons to be cheerful this week:
1) Blast from the past
Whilst sorting through a box in my room I came across this rather glamorous shot of me from when I was in my mid-20s:

Nice to remember I once looked like this!!

2) Sunny days

The weather has been stunning here so far this week and I spent a morning gardening with a class in this meadow:

3) Walking to work

I am lucky that my current position lets me walk to and from home every day. Crossing the River Kent is lovely:

4) Family fund raising

On Sunday the children and I ran up and around Kendal Castle in aid of St John's Hospice. So much fun and hopefully we raised a lot of money too (lots more pics on Flickr):

Paste this code into your post to add the linkup! get the InLinkz code

 

<center> <a href="http://beckywilloughby.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Reasons to be Cheerful" src="http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o585/LakesMum/6894b786-0238-4650-8556-714fdbb64aa2_zpsef0827cd.jpg"/></a>

#CountryKids at Kendal Castle Fireworks

We have lived in Kendal for 5 years but had never walked up to the castle on Bonfire Night as it was just not practical. Now we live only 20-25 minutes walk away I had no excuse! My son and I put on warm clothing and waterproof coats, donned our hiking boots and headed over...

Of course we forgot our torches so it was a spooky walk through the cemetery and pitch black the route my son chose up to the castle. It was also rather slippery under foot.. We reached the viewing point and there were already plenty of folks standing around waiting:

My son was wandering around and excited by the fireworks going off around town plus the large bonfire on another hill. He reckoned it was a meteor strike! The weather wasn't at all promising and quite a few folks had their umbrellas in use:

I bumped into a boy that I have been teaching and he let me experiment with taking photographs of his spinning light toy:

Reasons to be Cheerful: Summer Holidays are here #R2BC

Thanks again to Ojo's World for hosting this month. Go and see what is making her smile! Here are my reasons:

1) Leaving primary school

My daughter had her year 6 leavers' service on Friday. A packed church for an emotional goodbye, the end of 5 years at her school and moving on to secondary. There were plenty of laughs too and in the evening nearly all the families met up for a party in the village recreation ground:

2) Running

I hadn't run for a month so it was such a fabulous feeling to get out on Monday. I went off way too fast I was so excited! It was only 4 km but it put a smile on my face:

Then on Wednesday my son acted as my fell running coach and wore me out on the Helm:

#CountryKids 3 Castles 1 Day!

As part of Team Honk last weekend we went to 3 castles in 1 day which made for a fun Country Kids experience. First up Kendal Castle which is our local castle. This involves a bit of a hike from town but its very accessible to us:

Up Parr St to Kendal Castle

It was very cold on the top but it didn't prevent my kids from playing hide and seek in the ruins and flashing their Sports Relief goodies:

Sports Relief at Kendal Castle

We had a gentle if slippy run down the hill from Kendal castle before being transported through the hills and lovely Cumbrian countryside to Brough Castle. There isn't much of the castle left as apparently it was accidentally burned down in 1521 at a party! What the kids liked was the Ice Cream Parlour the local farmer has opened at the entrance to the castle.. Yummy ice cream! Then on to the castle itself which has some friendly sheep living on the grounds:

#TeamHonkRelay Kendal Castle to Barnard Castle

Here is the story of our leg of the Team Honk blogger relay:

a walk up to Kendal Castle

unfurling banner at Kendal Castle

flashing her Sports Relief t-shirt